'90 Accord DX with the 5speed. The shifter in this car is very balky at times. The 1-2 is especially bad.

The transmission doesn't grind gears or anything, but I have to apply a bit more force than I think should be necessary to get the shifter into the next gear. It'll just feel like it doesn't want to go into the gear, simply sitting in position until I apply enough force on it (or maybe the RPMs are right) to get it to shift. It's worse at higher RPMs.

It feels notchy, and makes noises when shifting, but it's not a gear grind, which is something you'd feel through the shifter anyway. It just goes 'kchk!' when I have to shove it past a notchy spot. It won't grind even if I really *REALLY* force on it to shift quicky (like, when merging).

Stuff I've checked/know is done/not done:

- Master cylinder is full.

-slave is new (thanks to previous owner)

-trans fluid is new (10w30 with correct service rating, changed by me. I know honda MTL is the 'best', but I don't have a shelf full of Honda MTL in my garage and my repairs manuals all said 10w30 anyway)

-The clutch has 220k miles on it (original).

-There's no funny play or anything in the clutch pedal. No weird clutch sensations/sounds either.

-The shifter itself still feels pretty tight. It's not sloppy at all, just a little movement when you shake it while it's in gear, less than most cars I've driven have.

You guys have any ideas? Help is definitely appreciated.

 

Have someone push the clutch in and watch the slave cylinder. It should push the arm on the transmission at about the same rate at the clutch pedal is depressed. So have your helper push slowly then try it quickly.

Maybe drain the master and slave cylinder and bleed the system to ensure that there is no air trapped in the system.

 

Thats not only impressive, but also the cause of your problems.

Replace it before you destroy the synchros though, or it could get very expensive.
Replace everything to, plate, cover and thrust bearing.

 

I'll try that this weekend, when someone else will be around to do this for me. I will say though, that if I'm coasting along in gear and the revs are up, the car drops to idle *instantly* when I depress the clutch, so the response of the MC seems pretty correct when driving, anyway. The pedal also flies up from the floor as fast as one could expect a clutch pedal to do so.

When I bought the car, the clutch was definitely glazed. It would chatter a bit, etc. Now, that's worn off and the clutch is surprisingly good. Only a little slippage if I'm aggressive.

That said, I've got a full Sachs clutch kit for it sitting on the shelf, waiting to go on.

 

If the clutch disk is warped, that can cause it to drag even with a perfect hydraulic system.

A dragging clutch will prevent shifting like you describe, but when the engine is turned off, the shift lever will move smoothly. Check that out...

I think the throw-out lever should move about 12mm back & forth when you press the pedal to the floor. Pump the pedal a few times then hold it on the floor. Watch to see if the throw-out lever slowly moves back towards the slave while the pedal is still held down on the floor.

 

Here's a side question:

Would out-of-adjustment shifter cables contribute to this problem?

I popped the console today to take a look at removing the (ripped up) shifter boot, and while I was at it, I measured my shifter cables according to the repair manual I have for the car, and it seems that both of my cables are out of adjustment, the distance between the center of the cable eye and the cable mounting plate are shorter than the minimum measurement the book specifies. I didn't bother to adjust them tonight, but I'm wondering if this would contribute.

 

They will stretch over time, so yes that can cause a problem.
My Prelude manual has tolerances in it, and a recomended check at about 100,000kms (about 65,000 miles).

I would replace the clutch, and check and adjust the shifter cables as well.
Chances are that both are working together to cause the problem.

Just remember the more you drive it, the more damage you do to the synchros, and they are much more expensive to replace than a clutch

 

One complaint since Accord was redesigned in 1990 was bland styling that ...
Shift quickly from second to third coming out of the turn to build steam and the
130 horses stumble. ... The 5-speed shifts smoothly without balkiness or
notchiness, ... The DX sedan with 5-speed starts at $14330, with automatic at
$15080. .

 

Thanks jahid for that incredible insight.
I removed the spam from your signature. Please read the rules.

 

I adjusted the cables to within spec. Didn't really change much.

I'm surprised that I'm in such danger of damaging my synchros. The clutch feels like a mildly worn clutch with maybe 75-100k miles on it. I'll get it changed though. But first I've got to wait for my new front axles and brake rotors to arrive.